  Short Stories
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The purpose of this newsletter is to help the Writing.com short story author hone their craft and improve their skills. Along with that I would like to inform, advocate, and create new, fresh ideas for the short story author. Write to me if you have an idea you would like presented.
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Tweet This
I often write about where an author can find ideas for stories. Sometimes a contest will come up (Hey, think about the upcoming birthday contests!) and an idea just won't fit. Let me tell you, I have a majillion ideas but like a corndog on a stick, sometimes its not the right fare.
I have a Twitter account. I think I made it to help promote WDC a decade few years ago. At the time I subscribed to some things of interest and then just for spits and giggles, I added a few off the wall things. Some of the tweets from those people are righteously funny. And when something makes me laugh and gets my head going, you know what happens next, a story.
Facebook is another place. The Land of Sharing brings some mighty hilarious stuff to my doorstep. A lot of people share things for two reasons, to inform or to share a laugh. Apparently my friends do a LOT of laughing. What I really want to know is who the person is that does these photoshop images and shares them with some dumbkins that instantly share it without reading that it's a joke. A few hundred shares later, a dire warning is added and giant grizzly bears are invading New York city.
All giggles aside, some of those posts and tweets get my creative side of the brain percolating and producing ideas like a coffee urn at a wedding shower. The important thing I've learned from it is to jot these ideas down in a clear way so that when I need a great prompt for a contest entry, I can recall what it was I thought would make a fun story.
Oh, and remember where you put the prompt file.  And as always, Write On!
This month's question: Where do you surf for giggles and ideas? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback! |
Excerpt: "Buzzzzz ..."
What's that sound?
It was louder and closer than the last time I heard it. I lay back down and tried to ignore it, but that didn't work. Within a few minutes, I was wide awake. I sat up and racked my brain. Where is it coming from?
I looked at the alarm clock and noted that it was 10:27. I decided to wait ten minutes to see if the sound would stop; it didn't.
Excerpt: Hillary elbowed her sister, and whispered, "Pay attention! Mr. Chatwell will catch you!"
Honey looked up in time to see their teacher walking over to their part of the classroom. "No, he won't!" She elbowed her sister back.
Mr. Chatwell sighed a bit, because of course he had seen that Honey was busy drawing in her notebook, and he had seen the whispered exchange between the sisters. He even had a pretty good idea what Honey was drawing in her notebook.
Dogs.
Excerpt: Under the moonlight shadow four couples sat, each of us seeking a last moment of joy after an otherwise extremely gloomy day.
Excerpt: “I don’t understand.” Walker looked toward Samantha, a puzzled look on his face. “Friends have asked her to write more about us, yet there's an unfinished Word entry growing stale on the external hard drive.”
Excerpt: “Jamie?” She sounded lost in the shadows. “Are you there?”
“I’m here, Katie darlin’.” Jamie Killen had been lounging in the shadows of Boozey Lane, waiting. “I thought you might have changed your mind.”
She put her arms around him. “I could never do that, Jamie. I love you too much to back out on you now.”
“I know, luv, me too. Did you bring it?”
She let go of him and reached into the cheese sack she had brought with her. “Yes, I have it right here.” She drew a bulging purse from the sack and held it out to him. “I found nearly forty pounds in Father’s workshop.”
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2054470 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: “It’s the classic version,” declared Camille. A wisp of streaked blonde hair had escaped from under her crisp white chef’s hat and threated to hang itself up on her Grandiôse mascara, by Lancôme. Of Paris. She shook her head to both make her point with Andre and to shoo the hair wisp away from her eyes. “Raw garlic only. And for the oil, grapeseed, not vegetable. Altogether a superior aioli.”
Excerpt: When Miss Marisol Dekar concluded her speech, the crowd, at least 200 strong, surged to their feet and filled the banquet room with thunderous applause. The inner light that emanated from her being and suffused the air was magnetic. I rose reluctantly, only to avoid questioning stares, because I wasn't like the rest of them who were here to practically worship her. I had a job to do.
Excerpt: Vasili Grigoriy Konstantinov was, by any standard, a solitary man, a quiet man. In large part this was the main reason he had remained single, though if he was completely honest with himself there were other reasons. His employer saw fit to have him travel the world conducting business.
Vasili was in fact the perfect company man. He had lived in several countries, spoke five languages, and took a personal interest in international affairs. He traveled the world and toiled in relative obscurity. Today he was in Kiev, a city he had been in before.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2053992 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: “Is it today?” I asked, carefully tying my shoes as I watched my older sister get dressed.
“Is what today?” she replied, smoothing down her dress and reaching for her hair tie.
“Is it today that we get to see?” I jumped to my feet and ran towards the window, but stopped before I pulled the curtains back. “Will it be out today?”
“It might, but you have to stay near me. You can’t go wandering off,” she reminded me. “We only get to stay outside for a few minutes. Otherwise the brightness will burn us.”
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This month's question: Where do you surf for giggles and ideas?
Last month's question: What are some of your favorite types of sites to research? How has it helped your writing?
terru1 responded: I emailed and asked for a tourist guide to Savannah, Georgia. It allowed me to check out restaurants, places to see and a street map of the surrounding area. From this sprung 17 novels about one guy, one lady and their adventures in law enforcement. Very useful tools.
{suser:ion_7 answered: I have not traveled in a while but I would probably enjoy the pit stops listed. In a fantasy setting I may pretend that each one is a town or a castle and view it through the eyes of a protagonist. When I do travel I’ll try this. Thanks for the fun idea!
{thekindred} replied: No but it does give me an idea to look at the brochures I see in the hotels with a bit more than a curisory glance. I make take a closer look to see if some place has a good story behind it. I do find visiting the local Historical museums facinatiing... I'm starting to watch Mysteries at the Museum with a pad and pen handy.
Elfin Dragon-finally published  said: Well, I haven't used travel brochures but I have used things like National Geographic as well as my own travels and observations. I grew up traveling the States and then when I joined the Air Force & Air Force Reserves I traveled some more. And you're right, the interactions of tired, road weary (or air weary) people are always interesting. For interesting travel I submit to you ..."Invalid Item" . It's not perfect story, but it does relate a different mode of travel.
~ Aqua ~ sent: Thank you very much for featuring my story "Invalid Item" in your newsletter, I was just wondering, how are items selected for featuring?
The newsletter was very good and I never thought about being inspired by travel and travel brochures but now that I am aware of it, I might try something! 
Leger: I feature stories from a few places, I might spot them in contests, or in my own personal reading, some are submitted in the newsletter system to feature, and some I find by keyword search that might somehow be related to the topic of the newsletter. I know, it's like saying I wander around WDC with a butterfly net and catch what flutters by, but that's kind of how it works, LOL.
Thank you to everyone sending a response, not only do I like to know people are reading my issues, but enjoy sharing your ideas and responses in the next issue. |
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Short Stories: August 26, 2015 Issue [#7182]
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